When it comes to the city council, how much do they do? What are the inner workings of a city’s council? What are the positions of the members of the city council? Are city councils even important?

These are questions that plague the everyday American. They lack knowledge, understanding, or care about their city and state elected officials. While this may seem small, it can be detrimental to American democracy.

The City of Columbus holds regular city council meetings. These meetings vary in agenda ideas, but the one on September 16^th seems to follow the usual routine. After watching the Columbus City Council meeting from September 16^th it’s clear that a city council is easily susceptible to democratic erosion.

Federalism is a central part of the democracy of the United States. The divide between federal and state governments is an essential check and balance in our government. However, when it comes to any office besides the President, rarely does anyone pay much attention.

In the article The New Yorker, Jane Mayer explores how little state legislators listen and react to their constituents. This shows a severe disconnect at the state level. However, to take it to an even smaller scale – are city councils also disconnected from their constituents?

The Columbus Council meeting ran with a few hiccups. There were various resolutions proposed such as designating September as National Sickle Cell Awareness Month in the City of Columbus or some ordinance regarding housing. These resolutions and many others were presented and briefly explained. There was an opportunity for a member of the community to come to the stand and discuss the resolution at hand.

Many resolutions had no such speaker. However, two resolutions had two community members speak. They were in clear misalignment with the proposed item. One went as far as to call out certain administrative members and demand answers. Nonetheless, these resolutions were then voted on with little to no discussion. All passing.

This may seem like a positive. A body of politicians that can work together to achieve goals, pass resolutions, and improve the city. What happens if the constituents don’t agree with these acts?

Polarization is a huge part of American politics. It defines who we are as a country and as a people. In a city like Columbus, there is little to no contention among the council members. These members are voted on by the people of the city and serve four-year terms. Moreover, the lack of disagreement amongst one another can be seen as a good thing. There is less of a chance of gridlock or sabotage. However, there is less room for discussion, less room to grow, and sometimes less room to evolve.

This all plays into the story of democratic erosion. When a city council is unchallenged it can increase executive aggrandizement. Moreover, the lack of resistance can also lead to this aggrandizement.

Columbus had experienced a cyber-attack. A lot of their data had been breached and steps were being taken to try to resolve this situation. They declared emergency power to the council as they designated this attack as a crisis. These parameters and other measures that are being undertaken were outlined in this council meeting. Therefore, it isn’t outlandish to claim that a council could exercise executive aggrandizement.

This lack of checks and balances can increase the risk of democratic erosion. If the constituents of a city don’t feel like they’re being represented, they can demand change. This could have effects on a state level as well.

Perhaps in the worst-case scenario, the constituents could be blissfully unaware of what is happening around them. This allows someone to take power or erode power in a discreet or seemingly unintentional way. Furthermore, if states aren’t even considering the wants of their constituents, what can be done in these situations?

This may seem to be a bit of jumping the gun. Is it truly the end of the world if the democracy of a city council is eroded? Maybe. Maybe not. However, it can be if this erosion expands beyond just a city. What happens when state legislatures begin to erode even further? Can this erosion bleed into Congress?

This meeting was very eye-opening to see the true conduct of a city council board meeting. While the physical meetings had many positives, it is concerning to think of how easily this council and way of democracy can be corrupted. How constituents can feel disregarded, the lack of polarization, and the availability of executive aggrandizement all can lead to the democratic erosion of a city’s council.

While this may seem small scale, it’s important to remember the effects of what a city council represents. This is fundamentally American democracy. A threat to any democracy on any scale can be a threat to the American democracy. Therefore, it is important to stop overlooking the warning signs and start taking our city and state legislatures more seriously.